The crew took the road again and made the trip up to Pittsburgh for Hoop Group’s annual Pitt Jam Fest event. As usual, we attack the weekend that was with three roundtable questions. 1. Who was your biggest stock riser…
The crew took the road again and made the trip up to Pittsburgh for Hoop Group’s annual Pitt Jam Fest event. As usual, we attack the weekend that was with three roundtable questions.
1. Who was your biggest stock riser of the weekend?
Giacubeno: 2023 Team Melo forward Omarion Reid really won me over this weekend thanks to his resilient effort. At 6-foot-6, Reid is a big body forward who knows how to use his frame in the trenches. He’s a low maintenance guy on the offensive end meaning that he doesn’t demand touches or need buckets to stay in tuned with the game plan. However, his relentless battling on the block where he’d seal his matchup under the rim and make himself available for entry passes pretty much demanded his teammates attention to get the ball down low. From there, Reid finished with efficiency. If he happened to miss the bunny, he’d pursue his own miss and redeem himself for second chance baskets. Defensively he acted as an anchor. He was communicating to everyone on the floor, helping where it was needed and closing down possessions with defensive boards.
Reid saw an uptick in his role last season for Mt. Carmel and I’d say it’s safe to assume that role will only increase as a senior. Expect Reid to also make his debut in our 2023 rankings in the next update.
Ayalew: I’d have to go with Macon EmoryMaconEmory
6'7" | SF Perkiomen School | 2024StatePA
from Team Loaded 434. His team won their respective championship over there weekend. Emory provided consistent floor spacing and helped his team control the glass.
Wilson: Unlike previous years, Pitt Jam Fest did not have as many college coaches in attendance just because of where college basketball stands right now as live periods might not be coaches top priority. However, coaches are still learning about kids through different sources and one name that will be relayed to staffs is Drew McKennaDrewMcKenna
6'7" | PF Glenelg Country | 2024#61NationMD
of Team Melo. Prep Hoops is ahead of the game by where we have McKenna currently ranked and the 6’7 forward showed his potential this weekend in front of different media companies. McKenna can score at all levels, grabs rebounds at a high level on both ends, can be scary in transition and can defend multiple positions on defense. Expect McKenna to get the recognition he deserves in the coming weeks and months as he is poised for a big summer with Team Melo.
2. We saw a good number of 2025 prospects. Give a name or two of who impressed you most.
Giacubeno: Tyler JacksonTylerJackson
6'2" | CG St. Frances | 2025#40NationMD
reinforced why he’ll be a priority for many college programs down the road. The 6-foot-1 guard is maturing at a rapid rate as his body has improved and his athleticism has become more explosive since this past high school season. In that short span of time his confidence also seems at an all-time high. He’s extremely shifty with the ball, which helped him create space from his defender with regularity for mid-range and three balls. When he gets to the rim he can finish in a manner that’s extremely difficult for opposing bigs to block considering the craft that he uses on his lay ups and in transition he has the ability to flush it on defenders as he did in their game on Saturday.
As much of an impact that he is on the offensive side, Jackson is just as much of a standout on defense. He’s one of those guys that you’d hate to guard you simply because he doesn’t back off. He’s always jabbing at the ball handler and trying to poke the ball out as they progress up the floor and in the passing lanes he has great timing on causing deflections for run-out opportunities.
Ayalew: William HarperWilliamHarper
6'4" | PG Gonzaga | 2025StateMD
from DC Premier
15’s was one of my favorite finds this weekend. He is a big guard who plays both ends of the floor. Harper helped lead his team to a runner-up finish in their respective division.
Justin Burrough from Team Loaded 757 showed promise against Team Durant
. He is a versatile lefty who plays solid defense and smart offense.
Wilson: I mean you can’t answer this question without mentioning Cameron WardCameronWard
6'6" | SF Largo | 2025State#30NationMD
of Team Durant
. Ward was a beast around the rim and did most of his scoring in the low. He was constantly living on the glass hauling in rebounds which helped him get a lot of second chance points. Ward has been a national name for a while but continues to be learned about on the national level.
Mario TatumMarioTatum
6'2" | PG Mt. Carmel | 2025StateMD
is another player that exceeded expectations this past weekend helping Team Durant
15U have a very worthwhile weekend in Pittsburgh. The 6’0 lead guard is a smart basketball player that can get his teammates involved but also score when needed. He has good shot making abilities and finished the weekend as one of Team Durant
‘s top shooters this past weekend.
3. Who quietly had a productive weekend that you’d like to shed some spotlight to?
Giacubeno: I really liked what I saw from 2025 Team Thrill guard Rodney Scott. Because of the flock of talented guard at Mt. Carmel this past season, Scott didn’t get many opportunities, but seeing him in an environment where he has more freedom really allowed me to evaluate his potential as a floor general. He’s small at 5-foot-5, but has a blazing first step and burst off the bounce. He was living in the paint over the weekend and from there, made good decisions as both a scorer and passer. His instincts when defenses are rotating to find the open man were up to par as were his finishes despite being the smallest player on the floor. He’ll still look to improve on making quicker decisions with the ball when he gets it on the perimeter within the flow of the offense, whereas now the ball has a tendency to stick.
As a defender he uses his low center of gravity to his advantage. Pair that with quick hands and you have a pesky defender to set the tone for your team.
Ayalew: Anthony “AJ” Clark from Team Loaded 757 17u. He was one of the better athletes I saw over the weekend. Clark used his athleticism to rack up defensive stats, get to the rim aggressively, and rebound effectively.
Wilson:Houston EmoryHoustonEmory
6'10" | C Blue Ridge | 2022StateVA
had a nice weekend in helping Team Loaded 434 win the 17u championship and is a player that has certainly caught coaches during the month of April. Emory is currently one of the top unsigned seniors in the state of Virginia and is definitely deserving to play at the scholarship level. Emory put up some really good numbers this weekend on both sides of the ball and showed that he can be a scary defender. He averaged multiple blocks per game at Pitt Jam Fest.